Individual sheet and envelope separator for pneumatic feeders



July '31, 1923. 1,463,329

C. H. MARTIN INDIVIDUAL SHEET AND ENVELOPE SEPARATOR FOR. PNEUMATICFEEDERS Filed April 18. 1922 2 Sheets-Shet 1 is Inverzwr 7 mail-Zara K,

Patented July 351, 1923.

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CHARLES HUGH MARTIN, F LOS AIIGELES, CALIFORNIA.

INDIVIDUAL SHEET AND ENVELOPE SEPARATOR FOR PNEUMATIC FEEDEBS.

Application filed April 18, 1922. Serial No. 555,004.

To all whom it may comm:

Be it known that I, CHARLES HUGH MAR- TIN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and Stateof California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in IndividualSheet and Envelope Separators for Pneumatic Feeders, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to the art of supplying sheets to the grippers ofpneumatic feeders for printing presses, and is an improvement upon theenvelope separator for printing presses, set forth in my application forLetters Patent of the United States, filed August 30, 1920, Serial No.406,812, allowed June 28, 1921, renewed April th, 1922, Serial No.553,073 and copending herewith, and comprising in combination with asheet support and a sheet barrier, and

pneumatic means for lifting sheets from a stack on said support andputting them over the barrier; of resiliently mounted means adapted todisplace by laterally shifting from the directly held sheet, such sheetor sheets as may be carried by such directly held sheet through suctionof said pneumatic envelope separator; said means contacting with suchenvelope only at the time of displacement of such indirectly heldenvelope; and, in combination with the barrier and pneumatic meansadapted to engage and lift over the barrier a thin flat object from thetop of a stack of such objects lying with their advanced edges againstor close to such barrier, a tappet, the body of which extends upwardlyina plane extending vertically between said barrier and the edges ofsuch objects; such tappet having a slight rounding protuberanceprojecting over the advance edge of such object, and adapted tointercept the advance edge of such of said objects as are lifted by, butare not in touch Y to allow it to be with, the pneumatic lifting means;and a spring supporting said protuberance so' as placed out of the wayby the object directly held by the suction means. An object'of theresent invention is to so construct. the attac cut as to make it operatemore certainly and surely, to avoid wear, and noise of operation, andallow adjustment where thinlliier or for heavier, thicker and stifierstoc Another object is to avoid such displacerequired for lighter andment of the sheets in the stack as would interfere with perfectoperation. Other objects, advantages andfeatures of. invention mayappear from the accompanymg drawings, the subjoined detail descriptionand the appended claims.

The invention may be variously constructed and the accompanying drawingsillustrate the same in a form at present deemed most desirable.

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the invention as applied in connectionwith a pneumatic, appliance heretofore employed in printing presses forlifting'envelopes and other sheet-like bodies over a barrier. Fragmentsof said pneumaticlmeans are shown.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the main parts of the invention shown in Fig.1 withfragments of other parts there shown or indicated.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental view of the reverse side of the barrier and thetappets shown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 4 and 5 are vertical sections on the irregular line indicated byw"w Fig.- 1, showing respectively the start and finish po- 30 sitions ofparts during the lifting and separating operation.

Fig. 6 is a fragnental rear elevation of a modification of the inventionadapted for use with extremely long sheet-like bodies.

The barrier 1 is much the same as the barrier common to pneumatic sheetseparators of the character described. 2 indicates a rounded knob orprojection adjustably'arranged with respect to barrier 1, near the levelof the top edge of said barrier and above the level of the objects to belifted over the barrier and normally non-contacting with such objects,so that the operator can adjust the same as to the distance said knobextends over the advanced edges of such objects as the envelopes a, b,cystacked ad-' jacent the'barrier, in position to intercept or tap loosefrom the directly sucked envelope a, the second and succeeding envelopes6,

c, as the directly sucked envelope is lifted to a level above that ofthe barrier, by the pneumatic appliance indicated by the suckers 3, 4and 5. In Fig, 5 the envelope 1) is shown dropped back to rest, but isindicated m broken lines as being shifted laterally by contact with theknobs 2 as the envelope a has passed upward.

The barrier 1 is usually'a-mq a Rh ranged vertically or about so, besldeand lid screws 10" extending the level of an envelope carriage 6. Thitbsuckers are mounted on the usual bar 7 and are reciprocated up and downby the same and the usual mechanism, not shown, in a path that is infront of the barrier 1, while the operation of lifting the envelope isefiected; and they also have a movement, as is well known, over andacross the top of the barrier to carry the envelopes to the platen 8.

Preferably the projections .2 are formed as humps in springs 9 which aremade to operate lightly by a light spring 9', and said springs areadjustably connected by suitable means as rivets 10 and adjustingfiatwise of the guiding face of the barrier 1 into the space edges of,the objects as envelopes or other sheets held therein. Said clip is.mounted on the barrier 1 by suitable retainers as the shaft 12 andbosses 13; said. clip being bent into loops as at 1% and thereby fixedto said shaft The faces of the strips 11' of the clip, extend throughslots 15 at the upper edge 0 the barrier toward the resilient adjustableenvelope or sheet holder 16 and said clip is adapted to yield by reasonof its spring 9' to allow the envelope at which is directly held by thepneumatic means to be lifted past the knobs carried by the springs. Saidsprings have suficient tension to cause the tappet to shift or displacethe second envelope b from the directly lifted envelope an, whereuponthe second envelope will fall back to the stack while the envelope or iscarried on by the suction means.

The rounded rotuberanoe 2 of such tappet is located a ove the level ofthe stack of sheets, envelopes or other sheet-like objects on thecarrier, and is non-contacting with the envelopes after an envelope hasbeen disengaged from under the envelope held by the pneumatic sucker. Inorder to avoid any likelihood of the tappet detaching the pneumaticallyheld envelope (1, automatic means are provided operable through themedium of the bar. 7 to retract the tappets from'the path of saidenvelope at the moment the u er envelope 11 passes the protuberance.hese means consist of the shaft 12 fixed to the tappet and journaled inthe bosses, and an arm 12 adjustably fixed to said shaft by a clampingscrew 12" and extending into the path of vertically reciprocating meansas the roller 17 acting against the curved upper end 18 of the arm 12'.

The tension of the spring 9 is adjusted by the hollow bushing 19threaded through the reinforced extension 20 from the rings 9;.

By adjusting the bushing, the tension of 10" to a clip 11 of sheet metalformed with strips 11 adapted to. extend between such face and the f1-5. The auxiliary rename the spring 9 is determined. By adjusting thescrew 10', the limbs 11' of the tappet-relative to the face of thebarrier 1 is determined. By adjusting the screw 10", the position of theprotuberance 2v relative to the face of the tappet is corrugated as at21 so as to break local adhesion between the envelope or other objectsto be lifted, as they pass upward toward the protuberance 2.

In practical operation the tappet is retractednbly action of the roller17 on the curved upper end 18 of the arm 12' and escapes such armsuficiently to allow the protuberance to strike the indirectlyliftedenvelopes as stated to separate them from the suction-held topenvelope a.

In the form shown in Fig. .6 for separating long sheets, the barrier 1is constructed for attachment to the maximum width press; and the shaft12 is extended approximately the full lengthof said barrier and ismounted in the hearings on bosses 153, and the central tappet member Ais of the same general construction as that shown in Figs. tappetmembers 22 are slidingly journalled on the shaft 12 and are fixed 1nadjusted position by means of the screw 23.

In operation, the sheets will be so positioned that thecentral tappetmember A. operates centrally of the sheet and the auxiliary tappetmembers 22 will be so adjusted that they will engage the sheets neartheir ends. Dotted lines, Fig. 6 indicate an ad justment of the members22 for separating sheets didering in length from those to which themachine is adapted when the tappets 22 are in the position shown insolid lines.

I claim.

1. In a sheet separator, the combination with a barrier andjpneumaticmeans adapted to lift a sheet from the top of a staclr, and a springoperated tappet having a protuberance for loosening lifted sheets not indirect contact with the lifting means; of means operable by the liftingmeans to re tract the protuberance from the path of the topmost sheet asit passes the protuberancy and, adapted toallow the spring operatetappet to be returned to tap lifted sheets not in touch with the liftingmeans.

2. The combination with the barrier; of a shaft mounted on the barrier;a tappet fixed to the shaft; and a spring to operate the tappet.

3. In combination pneumatic means adapted to engage and lift over thebarrier a thin fiatobject from the top of a stack of such objects; atappet for loosening sheets not in direct contact with the liftingmeans; means operable by the lifting means to retract the tappet fromthe position of the face of limbs 11' is determined. Said face with abarrier and the tappet after said topmost object has passed; and springmeans adapted to return said tappet so as. to tap the lifted objects notin contact with the lifting means.

4. In combination with a barrier; a shaft mounted on the barrier; atappet mounted onthe shaft; an arm secured to said shaft;

means to movesaid arm to retract said tappet; and resilient means toreturn said 1 tappet.

5. In combination with a barrier; a shaft mounted on the barrier; atappet mounted on the shaft; an arm secured to said shaft; means to movesaid arm to retract said tappet; a spring to return said tappet; andmeans to adjust the tension of said spring.

6. In a sheet separator, the combination of-a barrier; -pneumatic meansadapted to lift a sheet from the top of a stack; a shaft mounted on thebarrier; a tappet mounted on the shaft and normally extending over theedges of the sheets of the stack; and means for adjustin the distancesaid tappet extends over the e ge of the stack.

7. In a sheet separator, the combination of a barrier; pneumatic meansadapted to lift a sheet from the top of a stack; a shaft mounted on thebarrier; a tappet mounted on the shaft and normally extending over theedges of the sheets of the stack; resilient means adapted to normallyhold said tappet over the edge of the stack; and means for adjusting thedistance said tappet extends over the edge of the stack.

8. In a sheet separator; the combination of a barrier; pneumatic meansadapted to lift a sheet from the top of a stack; a tappet having aprotuberance normally extending over the edges of and non-contacting.-with the edges of, the asheets aneans to adjust the distance saidprotuberance extends over the edge .of the stack; and a spring adaptedto resiliently operate said tappet.

9. In a sheet separator, the combination of a barrier; pneumatic meansadapted to lift a sheet from the top pet having a protuberance normallyexten ing over the edges of and non-contacting with the edges'of thesheets; means to adjust the distance said protuberance extends over theedge of the stack; a spring adapted to resiliently operate said) tappet;and means for adjusting the tension of said spring.

10. In a sheet separator, the combination of a barrier; pneumatic meansadapted to lift a sheet from the top of a stack; a tappet having aprotuberance normally extend- 1ng over the edges of and non-contactingwith the edges of the sheets; means to adjust the distance-saidprotuberance extends of a stack; a tagover the edge of the stack; meansoperable by the lifting means to retract the protuberance as the sheetto be lifted passes saidprotuberance; and means to, return said tappetwith the lifting means. 7

11. In a sheet separator, the combination of a banner; pneumaticmeansadapted to lift a sheet from the top of a stack; a shaft mounted onthe barrier; a tappet mountedv so on the shaft having protuberances andcorrugated limbs; and means whereby said protuberances may-be adjustedrelative tosaid limbs and said barrier.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set myhand at Los Angeles, thisllth day of-akpril, 1922.

CHARLES HUGH MARTIN.

Witness -Am'mm F. Lamm.

to tap the sheets lifted by but not incontact I California, f, 4/

